1. Disk Space

Everyone already has a browser installed on their machine. Even if you’ve not installed Chrome or Firefox, you’ll still have Edge pre-loaded on a Windows PC or Safari pre-loaded on a Mac. Why spend the time downloading and installing a piece of software that will duplicate a function?

You’ll use up space on your device (which is problematic if you’ve got an old machine where memory is at a premium), slowly chip away at your start-up speed, and hinder your computer’s overall performance. For example, Adobe Acrobat needs 380 MB of disk space, Chrome needs 470 MB. Given what Chrome can do in comparison, there is no contest.

Adobe Acrobat takes at least twice that, and often a lot longer if the PDF file is large. However, an app like Sumatra PDF can be faster, especially if you use the portable version that doesn’t write to the registry.

I'm trying to use "adobe acrobat reader dc" to reply to a copyeditor's comments and it is so slow and horrible and I'm going to yell and cry

In contrast, all but the most basic PDF readers will let you add annotations, perform complex editing, add electronic signatures, customize your page view, and lots more. Some of the leading apps have so many features they can cost hundreds of dollars to buy.

Verdict — The key is whether you’re going to use those extra features. They sound exciting, but most users ignore them. Either way, it’s still an easy win for PDF readers.

4. Security

PDFs are often home to some of our most important personal information. Bank statements, payslips, utility bills, invoices… it’s all content you need to keep out of the hands of hackers.

In 2015, Secunia Research conducted a survey. They found 1,114 vulnerabilities in the five most popular browsers (Chrome, Firefox, internet Explorer, Opera, Safari) and a further 147 bugs in the five most popular PDF readers (Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader, PDF-XChange Viewer, Sumatra PDF, Nitro PDF Reader). Most of the problems in PDF readers were caused by open-source coding and third-party plugins.

Verdict — Neither browsers nor PDF readers look great here. The research made no reference to Edge, but it did note Microsoft products were only responsible for 21 percent of bugs in the top 50 apps, despite being responsible for 67 percent of the products. Is Edge your safest bet? Perhaps. I’m calling it a draw, though I did report on the Edge PDF exploitMicrosoft Edge's PDF Exploit: What You Need to KnowMicrosoft Edge's PDF Exploit: What You Need to KnowThe new Microsoft Edge browser has introduced new problems, such as its PDF exploit. But what is it? Are you safe? And is Edge unique with these types of issues? Let's investigate.Read More.

5. Compatibility

Not all PDFs are created equally or opened in the same way.

For example, files created using Adobe LiveCycle are notorious for not opening in browsers. The GPU Rendering settings in Chrome have caused some PDFs to need several refreshes before they display correctly. An update might temporarily break a browser’s ability to open the files (as happened in Chrome v.46.0.2490.71). The list goes on.

Which Is Right for You?

As you’ll have noticed from reading my verdicts, I’ve given a 2–1 win to PDF readers, with two drawn categories.

But those verdicts don’t necessarily reflect your own needs. No two people use their computers in the same way, no two people have the same set of requirements from a PDF viewer.

Ultimately, if space and memory use aren’t a problem for you, why not use both? You can use a browser for your day-to-day PDF viewing, but keep a more powerful program in reserve in case you ever need some of it’s more advanced features?

I second.
Sumatra also opens a lot of formats, including EPUB, MOBI and even CBR. On top of that, it does not keeps its configuration in the registry but in a text file in the app directory, so it can easily be made portable (usb flash drive or Dropbox) and show the same look, same recent files and last reading point for each one.

I don't use Edge (dislike it) and ended up un-installing the factory PDF that came with my new HP PC as for some reason resetting the default PDF reader to Foxit would never stick... the HP version always took over. I also don't like the presentation and layout of the browser PDF's so I stick with Foxit, a long time favorite. I may try some others but will stick with separate readers if I can.

In our environment, we are testing and planning for the deployment of Windows 10 to replace Windows 7. The departments we support are heavy users of fillable PDF forms (our leave request, for starters) and using anything other than Acrobat Reader DC is really not feasible. That may change in the future, but as it stands for us right now, Reader DC remains part of our baseline image.

Dan is a British expat living in Mexico. He is currently the Social Editor for MakeUseOf. He was formerly the Creative Editor and Finance Editor. Prior to his writing career, he was a Financial Consultant. He holds various certifications from the University of Leeds, the University of Cambridge, and the…